Attack of the Jelly Hogs! (And Feeding the Birds the Right Quantity)
Hi all,
Talk about a sugar high! Typically, we're out of jelly by noon... Makes one wonder what the birds are doing with all that energy... The jelly is fresh, so it probably
hasn't had a chance to ferment. (Read that, "Odds are that the orioles and catbirds probably ain't getting bombed and sitting around watching the Boston Red Sox."
OMG! We can only hope that they're Yankees fans!)
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The following probably won't come as any great surprise to some of you, but it caught the wife and me rather flat footed... Check out the oriole pics below...
Kidding aside, this does raise the issue of the appropriate amount of seed and feeding habits. From experience, I'd say that there are a number of factors...
- Wild birds shouldn't come to expect your yard as the "be-all and end-all" of food... The general rule is that humans should supply roughly 25% of a wild bird's diet. Mrs. CCA and I try to consistently put out seed in the morning and hope for a mostly-empty feeder by dusk. (For hummingbirds, we refill the clear 25% sugar water once or twice a week--every other day when the weather is consistently hot.)
- If birds aren't using your feeders, check for:
- Cleanliness
- Placement
and
- Appropriate seed (Remember... You can always use the "Comment" button below or call us for advice at (218) 486-5607 if you're not sure.)
- Unfortunately, wild predators are part of the backyard birding game too. If your birds suddenly vanish, something may have scared them off. (As for house cats on the roam... We can talk about that later.)
Finally... Since we're on the issue of the eating habits of birds... We're still trying to hunt down mealworms! We'll keep you posted...
Time to go...
See you by the feeders,
CapeCodAlan
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